copeland



(No Model.)

D. W. COPELAND. FENCE POST.

No. 266,261. Patented 0Gt.17, 1882.

Unites States PATENT tries.

DAVID WV. COPELAND, 0F LOWVILLE, NE\V YORK.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,261, dated October 17, 1882. Application filed September 21, 1222. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern Beit known that I, DAVID W. COPELAND, of Lowville, in the county of Lewis and State ot'llew York, have invented anew and useful Improvementin Fence Posts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to fence-posts of that class which are adapted to be made of iron or iron and wood.

The object of my invention is to form an anchor or foot for the post separable from and independent of the post itself, to form such a post anchor or foot capable of easy insertion into the ground or to be easily extracted therefrom, to make the post cheap and provide a iii-m bracing in all directions, and to adapt it either to a wooden or iron top or post.

My invention consists, first, in the special construction of the foot or anchor adapted to he set in the ground separately from the post; and, second, in a special construction of post, the lower part of which is of iron and the upper part of wood, the iron bottom being adapted to pass through the perforated hub in the foot and to bejoined to the wooden upper part, all these matters being fully set forth hereinafter, and distinctly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View; Fig. 2, a detail of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent modifications.

In Fig. 6 of these drawings is represented a foot or anchor, A, cast in one piece. It consists of a centralhub, a, ofintermediate arms, Z), made in the form of plates or webs arranged vertically, and ofspuds 0, projecting downward. The lower ends of the spuds are formed inclined to give a sharp point for entering the earth. Flanges 1 of the spuds are setat right angles to the arms or webs b, which are set on edge. The hub is adapted to receive the post, whatever may be its shape or size, said post being driven down through after the foot is inserted in the ground. The foot may bedriven down flush with the surface of the ground, or even deeper, if desired, and the insertion of the post lends additional security to the stability afforded by the radial arms and the spuds. These hold in all directions and render the post secure against any force which may tend to incline it from the perpendicular. I propose to make these feet or anchors ot' malleable castiron, or they may be of bar-iron. There may be two or more radial arms, as may be preferred; but no less than three should he used, and the spuds may he of angle-iron or plain bars.

Instead of having a solid foot or anchor, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, I may cast or form it in two parts, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5. The form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is in all respects like that firstdescribed, except that the hub is east in two parts, each part having two arms set in the same plane. The hubs arecast with interlocking recesses, 3 3, and first one may be inserted in the ground and the upper one driven in afterward, the latter being driven in such position that the recesses of the hubs will interlock. This form has some advantages,

' both in castingand in closer package in transportation, and in driving the arms may be turned at any angle to avoid a stone or to meet extra strain in one direction. With thelatter form of divided foot or anchor I may use onehalf of the form shown in Fig. 5, the parts being in connection in Fig. 4. This form, Fig. 5, is of metal like thick sheet metal, or it may be cast, as was the case with the other forms; but the cross-bar connecting the two spuds lies horizontally upon the ground. The central part of it is enlarged and perforated, and it is to be driven into the ground so that the hole in the center registers with that in the hub of the part first described, thepost being'driven through the hole in both and receiving support from both.

For the post I may use a plain angle-ironsuch as that shown in Figs. 6 and 7-or I may use a wooden post with the iron extension below entering the ground. In Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, I have shown this iron extension consisting ot'a roundand tapering rod, 6, though it may be of any form. This is long enough to pass a suitable distance through the opening in the center of the foot down into the earth. In the upper partit has a socket adapted to receive the bottom of a wooden post. This post may be held in the socket in any suitable way. For example, the socket may be a plain socket, as

shown, with a nail driven through to hold the post in place; or the rod may extend up through the bottom of the socket and may be formed in a wedge shape, so as to split the end of the base and hold it in the socket iuthe manner ot'a common Fox wedge. Instead of this, the socket may be omitted and the bottom rod may extend above the foot and the post may be set upon it, the post being bored longitudinally and provided with a ring or band to prevent splitting. In this way a post of wood of less than ouefourth the ordinary size may be made to serve the purpose. This form of postmay he used in connection with two plain flat cross-bars and spnds, as shown in Fig. 5.

I contemplate making the described feet or anchors of various lengths and of Various lateral dimensions; but ordinarily they will be from six inches to a foot across, and from one to two feet in length. Manifestly the dimensions will vary according to the nature of the soil in which they are to beset. When taken from the annealing-furnace they may be dipped in any suitable material-such as tar or like substance-for the purpose of forming upon them a coating adapted to prevent oxidation. The form of the foot is such that they may be made very cheaply and furnish a solid base for posts secure against strain in any direction.

I may,it it be deemed desirable, have asup plemental foot, f, which may be placed upon the iron rod which forms the bottom of the post and be driven down with it, furnishingan additional hold in the ground. This may be made of cast-iron, like the other parts. It will not be necessary in ordinary soils; but in soft soils or where great strength is required it may be used with advantage.

Although I have shown in connection with the described form of post flat plain bars with horizontal arms adapted to lie fiat upon the ground and with spuds of plain flat bars, 1 prefer the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

that I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A metal foot or anchor for posts, consisting of a central perforated hub, radial arms set on edge, .and flat spuds set across the ends of the arms, all as described.

2. In a foot or anchor for posts, a central hub composed of two interlocking parts with perforations to admit the post, and with arms and spuds connected to said hub parts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my n'a me to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID \V. COPELAND.

Witnesses:

F. L. MIDDLETON, \VALTER DONALDSON. 

